1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for restoring material to a land area that has been eroded away.
2. Description of Related Art
The present inventor has previously disclosed methods for restoring topsoil that has been eroded away, and also for dredging ditches in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner. Methods for dredging waterways are disclosed, inter alia, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,971,148; 4,240,243; 4,434,943; 4,517,754; 4,521,305; 4,575,960; 4,628,623; 4,759,664; 4,896,445; 5,167,469; and 5,211,511, which are incorporated by reference hereinto. These methods utilize a high-pressure nozzle to spray a thin layer of slurry material over a large area.
In the '148 patent, a dredge cutter head is described that is self-cleaning; in the '243 patent, satellite harvesters are used to harvest underwater aquatic growth; in the '943 patent, a pump intake cutter head is disclosed for pumping an aquatic growth slurry from a waterway or body of water; in the '754 and '960 patents, a cutterhead attachment for a dredge is described; in the '305 patent, a rotating self-cleaning screen is provided; in the '623 patent is described a turbidity control system for a dredge cutterhead; in the '664 patent, the slurry is formed of a solid material and water at a first location and pumped to a remote location for increasing the elevation of an area at the remote location; in the '445 patent, a waterway is dredged, and the dredged material is used to form a slurry that is then distributed over the adjoining area in a layer sufficiently thin to avoid negative impact on the environment; in the '469 and '511 patents, a slurry distribution system is disclosed.
Natural habitat disappearance is a persistent problem, and can be caused by a variety of damaging factors, including, but not limited to, human-caused factors and natural occurrences. Until now, topsoil restoration from ditches has been an expensive and labor-intensive process.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method for restoring land areas, for controlling elevation, and for improving the efficiency of an excavation process.